Okay, well...my advice would be that when you ask people to spend some time helping you, be sure you ask the precise question you want answered. Personally, I would feel bad if I had led others to waste their time finding information I didn't need but said I did. In this case, it isn't a big deal, but TBH, I don't quite trust you now when you say that you're "at a total loss" about what makes the top schools so special, given your first message's claims about cluelessness.
Also, you may want to try formulating your question and just typing it into a search box.
By "difference between" I meant from the angle of how instructional format and freshman opportunities etc. would vary. and compared to most on this site, I am clueless. 
